Satellites have been an important technological development. Even though the first satellite was launched into space by the USSR, it gave the world a sense of achievement because humans have successfully put something into space. Satellites are the reason for the creation of the Global Positioning System (GPS), that many people rely on today. For the map project I had to rely on google maps to see the exact location and roads. Google maps uses multiple satellites to offer 360° panoramic views of streets. Without GPS, I would not have been able to easily draw each individual road. After launching multiple satellites, there was a race for the moon. The U.S won the race by sending three astronauts to the moon. What was interesting to me was the fact that the astronauts were sent to examine the moon, but ended up taking one of the most iconic photos of all time. The Earthrise photo showed that from the astronaut's perspective the earth seemed “border-less” and whole. The photo gave hope that it is possible to live in harmony amongst each other. The Earthrise photo shows the Earth free of construction or government. Most of the school globes I have seen have distinct lines for borders of where one country ends and the other begins. I have seen many photos of Earth from space, but have never considered the story it was telling from that perspective.
I agree that, in a way, this generation takes images of Earth for granted. We have seen so many different portrayals of space (either real or fiction) that we have forgotten the deeper meaning behind the aspect of traveling so far away just to look back at where we came from ("Earthrise"). I suppose this reflects upon the concept that an individual can only really understand the place and community they come from after they leave it for another.
As we covered the intense competition between the Soviet Union and United States during the Cold War in lecture, we also discussed the benefits from such a race that brought us to the final frontier. Even though the Soviet Union had been the first to launch a satellite into orbit of the Earth, the US had won in the specific race to the Moon with its Apollo 8 mission that was completed in December 1968. During this mission, the astronauts had found that they were much more mesmerized by the sight of their home from so far away and not the space and Moon landscape around them. This brought about the famous “Earthrise” photograph that pilot William Anders took, portraying the Earth “rising” above the lunar horizon like the Moon or Sun might appear to do on Earth’s horizon. From then on out, people of America were fascinated by space and the wholesomeness one could feel while witnessing the Earth floating there among the stars. With other space missions came other images of the Earth and people’s imaginations ran wild with the endless possibilities of space. As stated in the lecture, many people saw “Earthrise” and photos like it, as a way to convey global unity to the masses and preach upon how we may be different but together we are one whole. Many industries were inspired by space travel, such as film and television. Professor Caplan had mentioned “2001: A Space Odyssey” which had been a major development in the genre of science fiction and had created more possible settings for exploring space with fictitious narratives. The film had also reflected upon the advancements of space travel and looked into what such a future could hold. This movie portrayed the future as a time where space travel was a norm but also held danger as life became too consumed by technology. There have been many movies made since then that have followed similar narratives that usually revolve around mankind’s need to go to space. Some of the movies that fit that description that I can recall are “Armageddon” (1998) and “Interstellar” (2014). Both films portray a not too distant time period where the planet needs to go to space in order to save humanity in one way or another from some unpreventable disaster. It may not have been such a dire need in the 1960s, but there certainly was an urgency with America’s space race.
I agree, the space race was the reason for America's development in space exploration. The competition between the United States and Soviet Union makes me think that the race brought out the best in the two countries. Not thinking about the winning or the loosing aspect of competition, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite and the United sent three men to the moon. Both accomplished great things by achieving to have he best outer space program.
I really enjoyed the lecture covering about drones and the war. To me it gave an interesting view of the pilots who controlled the drones and the Iraqi family who were victims of this attack. This lecture was heart felt and really gave an insight in how war is difficult for both sides. It actually brought me back to the film "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) to show how brutal war is. Countries fighting each other and killing one another, not knowing if they have loved ones or a family. It is truly one thing to see war but to hear it and see it, is a whole other story just like professor Caplan said. To think that all this drone technology started because of the invention of satellites. The revolutionary GPS gave a new opportunity to make drones as an easy way out from casualties. However, when they interviewed the former drone pilots, it was not as easy. Sure the drones may be a great invention but I believe it took a step in the wrong direction. The perspective of the drones from both perspective was an intriguing yet sad story.
I agree that hearing both perspectives on drones was intriguing but also sad. I have only ever thought about the effect a drone attack has on those being attacked, never the pilots who are flying the drones. Hearing the devastating effect drones have on both sides definitely makes you think that their uses should be reconsidered or redeveloped.
While I understand the thoughts in the above comment, I would caution against calling for drone use to be reconsidered or redeveloped. Drones have not increased the number of civilian casualties in warfare, but have lowered them. The stealth and precision with which drones attack targets is far safer for civilian populations than any previous method of aerial bombing deployed in prior wars. Look at the number of civilian casualties from carpet bombing European cities in WWII or napalm strikes in Vietnam.
After the reading and lecture on Thursday, I started thinking about how interesting it is how many inventions and innovations in technology have started because of the military such as drones which were originally developed as a resource for the military during war. However, drones are starting to to be integrated into everyday life. For example, it reminded me of how there was a debate of whether drones could be used as a delivery system. In addition, drones are now available as toys for the general population to fly as a hobby. You can find drones in many stores and online and people fly them for entertainment and some people even use them to take aerial photographs. However, even though drones are being used in the military and by the general population, it is interesting and almost unsettling to think about the difference in their purposes and their outcomes. For example, military drones are often used as weapons to eliminate an enemy whereas drones that the general population use are used for recreation; and what makes it unsettling is that people do not think about the different uses of drones. Like it was discussed in lecture, people do not tend to hear about drones in war even though they are becoming a vital part of warfare considering how there are now more drone pilots than there are conventional pilots. Since people do not hear as much about drones in warfare, they do not tend to hear about and therefore understand the effects of drones.
I totally agree. Military basically started a lot of the inventions like the drones and the making of Cinerama. It is so interesting how something so secretive gave birth to all this technology we have today.
I agree that military technology is now being used for everyday activities and by everyone. It's crazy to think that this technology used to be classified and now it is everywhere.
It's really interesting how you point out that drones are flown as hobbies and used as toys/entertainment today. It really goes to show how technology has evolved over time and how advanced the innovative world has grown. Previously, any satellite work has been only controlled by the military, government, research companies. But the opportunity for drone use has shifted and now also rests in our hands. It's exciting to think about how we can gain more access to inventions such as these as technology continues to become more complex and user-friendly!
I found the lecture on Cold War Cosmopolitanism to be really interesting. The history behind the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 is really fascinating, because it was a time where the fate of the world was in the hands of two nations. The U.S barely avoided nuclear war with the Soviet Union, and aerial photography played a big role. It sounds crazy to suggest that a few aerial images prevented nuclear war, but the photographs obtained by the United States of missile launch sites in Cuba were definitely an important asset to the Americans. The way that the Americans used the images of Cuban launch sites to pressure the Soviets into admitting their presence in Cuba was historic. As professor Kaplan mentioned in class, the display of aerial images of Cuban missile sites at the UN conference was the first time such images had been displayed and used to pressure another nation into admitting truth. That moment was perhaps symbolic of the coming of new forms of intelligence gathering and technological warfare. It was only a few years after the U2 spyplanes that SR-71 Blackbirds became America's top reconnaissance plane, which were then shortly a thing of the past as the world began to show interest in the potential of Satellite imaging, as we discussed over several lectures.
I thought that when the Professor talked about drones and satellite technology that it was an interesting addition to the material. From satellite imagery we have developed GPS technology such as Google Maps and Maps on the iPhone. This advanced technology is something that everyone takes for granted every single day. Some times I will use Google Maps just to navigate my hometown, let alone being able to use it anywhere in the world. Images from space of the Earth are something that became extremely popular because it is something that no human had ever seen before. Learning about drones was also very enjoyable because it is a fairly new technology that I do not know much about. Seeing the connection between satellites to GPS to drones is super cool. This technology was used for important things such as military use and advancements into space, however now it is used in our everyday lives. Regular people even own drones now to record their own aerial images.
It really is amazing how far technology has come with the invention of satellites and GPS. The combination of smartphones and navigational systems makes it so easy for us to take it for granted as always available to us, at least as long as our phones are charged.
I enjoy using programs such as Google Earth that allow you to use flight simulators. You get to really see the beauty of satellite images, which also allows you to explore regions I could have only imagined, such as seeing the concrete jungle in New York, or the beaches in Hawaii!
Prior to the reading of Roger Stahl's "What the Drone Saw: the Cultural Optics of the Unmanned War" and lecture last week, I did not know that drones played such a big role in war. He states that "From the American Civil War and Crimean War onward, the camera has been an integral part of picturing conflict." This made me think of the whole theme of perspective that we have been exploring all quarter. More specifically, where the drone is placed and angled can have a big effect on the conflict and the image/bias of all parties involved. Drones offer us a new point of view because of its unique ability to travel in a very controlled way. Drone vision offers an interactive yet passive way of looking, in which one does not have to be physically present to gain power and leverage in terms of war. Interestingly enough, it has not only made its presence known in governmental agenda, but also has integrated into the lives of the common people, revealing its power in both influence and ability.
I also did not know that drones are already used in war and they play a big role. Drone being the threat reminded me of how airplane was first introduced were a threat.
I really thought the lecture on Cinerama was quite interesting. It must have been incredible to see it when it first premiered and how stunned everyone must have been. I like to think we are seeing something today with virtual reality. Virtual reality may be more intense than Cinerama was, but people using it seem to have the same reactions as the ones people had to Cinerama that we talked about in class. It may seem sort of boring nowadays, but I believe it was the first step towards virtual reality and other more futuristic technologies. People in fifty years will probably think our version of virtual reality was quite boring as well.I am really excited to see where this technology goes in the future.
I also thought Cinerama was really interesting. Although it was a really cool invention at the time, I think in the present it would be considered undesirable and too overwhelming to the senses. Even though as you said, virtual reality may be more intense, people still naturally flock to overwhelming their senses. It would be interesting to see if virtual reality sticks around.
Its interesting how military technology always seems to make its way into ordinary life. We've now discussed two of the many technologies that have been adapted from war to normal use, first with the flight training simulator which inspired Cinerama and other viewing experiences and now drones. Although drones are not all that common at the moment, they are gaining momentum with the attempts at creating a drone delivery service, becoming a casual hobby for those who can afford it, and even being used in the film industry to capture some of those amazing scenes from the skies. This all ties back to how technology is advancing at an alarming rate as people were struggling to figure out ways to take aerial photographs from planes or hot air balloons not even two centuries ago. While it is amazing how technology has come so far and has raised the standard of living, it is a little scary to think about how much it has changed warfare. Military drones force everyone to be on constant alert as there is no signal as to when they strike. While the documentary we watched showed and stated that the drones are completely silent, Nassar Hussain disagrees in his article "The Sound of Terror," stating that the drones can be heard by the civilians, striking fear and anxiety into the locals. Drones may not be the first invention that changed the nature of warfare, but they likely won't be the last, making it hard not to worry about where technology will lead us in the future.
I agree that military technology integration into society is really interesting. It's sort of strange that these really great, positive inventions come from war, which is generally seen as terrible.
The progression of aerial technology within the military really is fascinating simply because it has come a long way since it first became utilized. As drones are now being used in a military fashion, the culture of war may change along with it. It is interesting/sad to see the changes in war just because of the innovations regarding aerial technology. People could become desensitized to war just purely because they don't have to be physically there to fight wars anymore.
I found the lecture on Cinerama very appealing because it shows how much people were stunned and amazed by the style of art that was seen back then. Having 3 screens in one, which emphasizes the person’s peripheral vision was a great idea to enhance art, and it made people feel as if they were in the picture; whether it was visuals of landscapes across the U.S. or other such images as we see today with IMAX theatre. With the idea of cinerama, artists expanded the picture to make big art, but now as we see it today, it has been the opposite. As commonly said, “small is the new big”, where as instead of expanding to bigger screens, more projectors, and longer stretches, the idea of virtual reality has been brought into modern media, now making the picture as small as enclosing it within the person’s very eyes like a pair of goggles, yet this is the most advanced and most real that a person has seen art, scenery, landscape, etc. The two types of art may not be similar, but it comes to show how “real” art is becoming, and soon enough in the future we’ll look back at the virtual reality we have now, just as how people see cinerama now, old and basic. Art and technology will only advance.
It was interesting in how Cinerama was introduced to the military and many other technological improvement were made with the military support. Cinerama was invented by Fred Waller and was introduced to the military use by enabling to practice shooting down planes. The video of introducing this technology we watched in class looked like a pioneer of virtual reality which is now trending in the area of technology. Similarly, the use of drone in the militaristic way was also presented. These two are similar in that both has not been introduced much to be used by ordinary people. Especially for drone it is questioned how it can threat one’s privacy and when it causes an accident. Despite there are restriction for ordinary people to use, in military both are been adequately used as their tool. I was puzzled to this situation where technologies are improved more in military use.
I found it interesting when we talked about the Apollo 8 mission. I know a lot about the moon landing and know that NASA sent multiple missions to the moon. However, I did not know many details about any of the missions outside of the Apollo 11 mission. The purpose of the mission was not to take pictures of the Earth, but of the dark side of the moon. The astronauts on this mission took the picture almost by accident, but with the accident they were able to take one of the most influential photographs of the time. It is cool to think that even though the mission had a specific purpose they were able to look at other things and find something amazing and be able to share it with the whole world and have the experience stay with them their whole lives.
I also took interest when we discussed the Apollo 8 mission. I knew some prior knowledge about the Earthrise, but I did not know of the social significance the Earth photo had on the general public. It is also shocking that the picture does look like it was taken by accident
In talking about the competition between the United States and the USSR during the Cold War, it's really made me think about the current relations between the United States and Russia. While the US and USSR wanted basically nothing to do with each other during the Cold War, it seems we've made quite a bit of progress since then (disregarding the current political scandals). The large amount of competition with the Space Race is in stark contrast to now, where both Russian and American astronauts work together on the International Space Station. I recently read that the Russian astronauts all learn English, while the American astronauts all learn Russian. I think the cooperation between the two sets of astronauts is a significant improvement over what used to be.
Thinking about Cinerama was really interesting. The thought of having over 9 screens in front of me all playing different images sounds really overwhelming and undesirable. Yet back then people found the overwhelming aspect as the most attractive feature of the technology. I think it is amazing how inventions come and go. Most inventions don't stay, and even if they do stick around they are constantly improved and modified to the point that we can't even recognize them anymore. Human ingenuity is quite amazing talking about films with flight and the Apollo 8 mission really demonstrates how people strive to create and display the best products that an be made.
During lecture when we learned about the high level of tension that was brought up during The Cold War it was interesting to see how close the world was from nuclear annihilation. We spent the better half of Post-World War II worrying about the eventual communist takeover that never happened. We spent billions of dollars into researching military technology to combat the eventual war between Russia and the United States. Of course this war never happened rather we used other wars to indirectly fight among each other. The huge competition sprouted the space race that pinned both counties to get the first man on the moon. Sadly the United States did not send the first man on the moon, but we are the only country to send a man to the moon! Take that Russia! This competitive attitude we had with Russia mostly ended during the Reagan administration, but now I feel like it has been resurfacing. During the later years of the Obama administration I feel like our relations with Russia have been getting worse and definitely our relations with Russia are on a low point with the Trump administration. I wonder if this competitiveness will resurface and have a second Cold War in my lifetime.
In my perspective, one of the most interesting topics covered this quarter was definitely the relationship between advancements in aerial photography and the space race. The relationship between the United States and the USSR was tense because we were competing to achieve goals before one another, but the interesting thing was that aerial photography included US citizens in on the "competition." What was strange to think about was the fact that the photo that the Apollo8 Mission took of the Earth and Moon was so revolutionary at the time, but now people see photos of the Earth and are not phased at all. The normalization of aerial photography is so contrasting to the previous abnormality those photos once held. Another interesting topic that was discussed in class was Cold War Cosmopolitanism. The overlap between aerial technology and the military really is fascinating because at first, many were wary/doubtful of the relationship between the two. In contrast, now the military is dependent upon the usage of aerial technology and are always creating new innovations. The development and normality of both aerial technology and it's uses within the military have come a long way- from being abnormal to completely normal.
Satellites have been an important technological development. Even though the first satellite was launched into space by the USSR, it gave the world a sense of achievement because humans have successfully put something into space. Satellites are the reason for the creation of the Global Positioning System (GPS), that many people rely on today. For the map project I had to rely on google maps to see the exact location and roads. Google maps uses multiple satellites to offer 360° panoramic views of streets. Without GPS, I would not have been able to easily draw each individual road. After launching multiple satellites, there was a race for the moon. The U.S won the race by sending three astronauts to the moon. What was interesting to me was the fact that the astronauts were sent to examine the moon, but ended up taking one of the most iconic photos of all time. The Earthrise photo showed that from the astronaut's perspective the earth seemed “border-less” and whole. The photo gave hope that it is possible to live in harmony amongst each other. The Earthrise photo shows the Earth free of construction or government. Most of the school globes I have seen have distinct lines for borders of where one country ends and the other begins. I have seen many photos of Earth from space, but have never considered the story it was telling from that perspective.
ReplyDeleteI agree that, in a way, this generation takes images of Earth for granted. We have seen so many different portrayals of space (either real or fiction) that we have forgotten the deeper meaning behind the aspect of traveling so far away just to look back at where we came from ("Earthrise"). I suppose this reflects upon the concept that an individual can only really understand the place and community they come from after they leave it for another.
DeleteAs we covered the intense competition between the Soviet Union and United States during the Cold War in lecture, we also discussed the benefits from such a race that brought us to the final frontier. Even though the Soviet Union had been the first to launch a satellite into orbit of the Earth, the US had won in the specific race to the Moon with its Apollo 8 mission that was completed in December 1968. During this mission, the astronauts had found that they were much more mesmerized by the sight of their home from so far away and not the space and Moon landscape around them. This brought about the famous “Earthrise” photograph that pilot William Anders took, portraying the Earth “rising” above the lunar horizon like the Moon or Sun might appear to do on Earth’s horizon. From then on out, people of America were fascinated by space and the wholesomeness one could feel while witnessing the Earth floating there among the stars. With other space missions came other images of the Earth and people’s imaginations ran wild with the endless possibilities of space. As stated in the lecture, many people saw “Earthrise” and photos like it, as a way to convey global unity to the masses and preach upon how we may be different but together we are one whole. Many industries were inspired by space travel, such as film and television. Professor Caplan had mentioned “2001: A Space Odyssey” which had been a major development in the genre of science fiction and had created more possible settings for exploring space with fictitious narratives. The film had also reflected upon the advancements of space travel and looked into what such a future could hold. This movie portrayed the future as a time where space travel was a norm but also held danger as life became too consumed by technology. There have been many movies made since then that have followed similar narratives that usually revolve around mankind’s need to go to space. Some of the movies that fit that description that I can recall are “Armageddon” (1998) and “Interstellar” (2014). Both films portray a not too distant time period where the planet needs to go to space in order to save humanity in one way or another from some unpreventable disaster. It may not have been such a dire need in the 1960s, but there certainly was an urgency with America’s space race.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the space race was the reason for America's development in space exploration. The competition between the United States and Soviet Union makes me think that the race brought out the best in the two countries. Not thinking about the winning or the loosing aspect of competition, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite and the United sent three men to the moon. Both accomplished great things by achieving to have he best outer space program.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the lecture covering about drones and the war. To me it gave an interesting view of the pilots who controlled the drones and the Iraqi family who were victims of this attack. This lecture was heart felt and really gave an insight in how war is difficult for both sides. It actually brought me back to the film "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) to show how brutal war is. Countries fighting each other and killing one another, not knowing if they have loved ones or a family. It is truly one thing to see war but to hear it and see it, is a whole other story just like professor Caplan said. To think that all this drone technology started because of the invention of satellites. The revolutionary GPS gave a new opportunity to make drones as an easy way out from casualties. However, when they interviewed the former drone pilots, it was not as easy. Sure the drones may be a great invention but I believe it took a step in the wrong direction. The perspective of the drones from both perspective was an intriguing yet sad story.
ReplyDeleteI agree that hearing both perspectives on drones was intriguing but also sad. I have only ever thought about the effect a drone attack has on those being attacked, never the pilots who are flying the drones. Hearing the devastating effect drones have on both sides definitely makes you think that their uses should be reconsidered or redeveloped.
DeleteWhile I understand the thoughts in the above comment, I would caution against calling for drone use to be reconsidered or redeveloped. Drones have not increased the number of civilian casualties in warfare, but have lowered them. The stealth and precision with which drones attack targets is far safer for civilian populations than any previous method of aerial bombing deployed in prior wars. Look at the number of civilian casualties from carpet bombing European cities in WWII or napalm strikes in Vietnam.
DeleteAfter the reading and lecture on Thursday, I started thinking about how interesting it is how many inventions and innovations in technology have started because of the military such as drones which were originally developed as a resource for the military during war. However, drones are starting to to be integrated into everyday life. For example, it reminded me of how there was a debate of whether drones could be used as a delivery system. In addition, drones are now available as toys for the general population to fly as a hobby. You can find drones in many stores and online and people fly them for entertainment and some people even use them to take aerial photographs. However, even though drones are being used in the military and by the general population, it is interesting and almost unsettling to think about the difference in their purposes and their outcomes. For example, military drones are often used as weapons to eliminate an enemy whereas drones that the general population use are used for recreation; and what makes it unsettling is that people do not think about the different uses of drones. Like it was discussed in lecture, people do not tend to hear about drones in war even though they are becoming a vital part of warfare considering how there are now more drone pilots than there are conventional pilots. Since people do not hear as much about drones in warfare, they do not tend to hear about and therefore understand the effects of drones.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. Military basically started a lot of the inventions like the drones and the making of Cinerama. It is so interesting how something so secretive gave birth to all this technology we have today.
DeleteI agree that military technology is now being used for everyday activities and by everyone. It's crazy to think that this technology used to be classified and now it is everywhere.
DeleteIt's really interesting how you point out that drones are flown as hobbies and used as toys/entertainment today. It really goes to show how technology has evolved over time and how advanced the innovative world has grown. Previously, any satellite work has been only controlled by the military, government, research companies. But the opportunity for drone use has shifted and now also rests in our hands. It's exciting to think about how we can gain more access to inventions such as these as technology continues to become more complex and user-friendly!
DeleteI found the lecture on Cold War Cosmopolitanism to be really interesting. The history behind the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 is really fascinating, because it was a time where the fate of the world was in the hands of two nations. The U.S barely avoided nuclear war with the Soviet Union, and aerial photography played a big role. It sounds crazy to suggest that a few aerial images prevented nuclear war, but the photographs obtained by the United States of missile launch sites in Cuba were definitely an important asset to the Americans. The way that the Americans used the images of Cuban launch sites to pressure the Soviets into admitting their presence in Cuba was historic. As professor Kaplan mentioned in class, the display of aerial images of Cuban missile sites at the UN conference was the first time such images had been displayed and used to pressure another nation into admitting truth. That moment was perhaps symbolic of the coming of new forms of intelligence gathering and technological warfare. It was only a few years after the U2 spyplanes that SR-71 Blackbirds became America's top reconnaissance plane, which were then shortly a thing of the past as the world began to show interest in the potential of Satellite imaging, as we discussed over several lectures.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting too and it surprised me just how much we rely on drones for the military and other everyday life things.
DeleteI thought that when the Professor talked about drones and satellite technology that it was an interesting addition to the material. From satellite imagery we have developed GPS technology such as Google Maps and Maps on the iPhone. This advanced technology is something that everyone takes for granted every single day. Some times I will use Google Maps just to navigate my hometown, let alone being able to use it anywhere in the world. Images from space of the Earth are something that became extremely popular because it is something that no human had ever seen before. Learning about drones was also very enjoyable because it is a fairly new technology that I do not know much about. Seeing the connection between satellites to GPS to drones is super cool. This technology was used for important things such as military use and advancements into space, however now it is used in our everyday lives. Regular people even own drones now to record their own aerial images.
ReplyDeleteIt really is amazing how far technology has come with the invention of satellites and GPS. The combination of smartphones and navigational systems makes it so easy for us to take it for granted as always available to us, at least as long as our phones are charged.
DeleteI enjoy using programs such as Google Earth that allow you to use flight simulators. You get to really see the beauty of satellite images, which also allows you to explore regions I could have only imagined, such as seeing the concrete jungle in New York, or the beaches in Hawaii!
DeletePrior to the reading of Roger Stahl's "What the Drone Saw: the Cultural Optics of the Unmanned War" and lecture last week, I did not know that drones played such a big role in war. He states that "From the American Civil War and Crimean War onward, the camera has been an integral part of picturing conflict." This made me think of the whole theme of perspective that we have been exploring all quarter. More specifically, where the drone is placed and angled can have a big effect on the conflict and the image/bias of all parties involved. Drones offer us a new point of view because of its unique ability to travel in a very controlled way. Drone vision offers an interactive yet passive way of looking, in which one does not have to be physically present to gain power and leverage in terms of war. Interestingly enough, it has not only made its presence known in governmental agenda, but also has integrated into the lives of the common people, revealing its power in both influence and ability.
ReplyDeleteI also did not know that drones are already used in war and they play a big role. Drone being the threat reminded me of how airplane was first introduced were a threat.
DeleteI really thought the lecture on Cinerama was quite interesting. It must have been incredible to see it when it first premiered and how stunned everyone must have been. I like to think we are seeing something today with virtual reality. Virtual reality may be more intense than Cinerama was, but people using it seem to have the same reactions as the ones people had to Cinerama that we talked about in class. It may seem sort of boring nowadays, but I believe it was the first step towards virtual reality and other more futuristic technologies. People in fifty years will probably think our version of virtual reality was quite boring as well.I am really excited to see where this technology goes in the future.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. Cinerama style is something that we are used to nowadays, but when it first came out I imagine that it was an amazing sight.
DeleteI also thought Cinerama was really interesting. Although it was a really cool invention at the time, I think in the present it would be considered undesirable and too overwhelming to the senses. Even though as you said, virtual reality may be more intense, people still naturally flock to overwhelming their senses. It would be interesting to see if virtual reality sticks around.
DeleteIts interesting how military technology always seems to make its way into ordinary life. We've now discussed two of the many technologies that have been adapted from war to normal use, first with the flight training simulator which inspired Cinerama and other viewing experiences and now drones. Although drones are not all that common at the moment, they are gaining momentum with the attempts at creating a drone delivery service, becoming a casual hobby for those who can afford it, and even being used in the film industry to capture some of those amazing scenes from the skies. This all ties back to how technology is advancing at an alarming rate as people were struggling to figure out ways to take aerial photographs from planes or hot air balloons not even two centuries ago. While it is amazing how technology has come so far and has raised the standard of living, it is a little scary to think about how much it has changed warfare. Military drones force everyone to be on constant alert as there is no signal as to when they strike. While the documentary we watched showed and stated that the drones are completely silent, Nassar Hussain disagrees in his article "The Sound of Terror," stating that the drones can be heard by the civilians, striking fear and anxiety into the locals. Drones may not be the first invention that changed the nature of warfare, but they likely won't be the last, making it hard not to worry about where technology will lead us in the future.
ReplyDeleteI agree that military technology integration into society is really interesting. It's sort of strange that these really great, positive inventions come from war, which is generally seen as terrible.
DeleteThe progression of aerial technology within the military really is fascinating simply because it has come a long way since it first became utilized. As drones are now being used in a military fashion, the culture of war may change along with it. It is interesting/sad to see the changes in war just because of the innovations regarding aerial technology. People could become desensitized to war just purely because they don't have to be physically there to fight wars anymore.
DeleteI found the lecture on Cinerama very appealing because it shows how much people were stunned and amazed by the style of art that was seen back then. Having 3 screens in one, which emphasizes the person’s peripheral vision was a great idea to enhance art, and it made people feel as if they were in the picture; whether it was visuals of landscapes across the U.S. or other such images as we see today with IMAX theatre. With the idea of cinerama, artists expanded the picture to make big art, but now as we see it today, it has been the opposite. As commonly said, “small is the new big”, where as instead of expanding to bigger screens, more projectors, and longer stretches, the idea of virtual reality has been brought into modern media, now making the picture as small as enclosing it within the person’s very eyes like a pair of goggles, yet this is the most advanced and most real that a person has seen art, scenery, landscape, etc. The two types of art may not be similar, but it comes to show how “real” art is becoming, and soon enough in the future we’ll look back at the virtual reality we have now, just as how people see cinerama now, old and basic. Art and technology will only advance.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting in how Cinerama was introduced to the military and many other technological improvement were made with the military support. Cinerama was invented by Fred Waller and was introduced to the military use by enabling to practice shooting down planes. The video of introducing this technology we watched in class looked like a pioneer of virtual reality which is now trending in the area of technology. Similarly, the use of drone in the militaristic way was also presented. These two are similar in that both has not been introduced much to be used by ordinary people. Especially for drone it is questioned how it can threat one’s privacy and when it causes an accident. Despite there are restriction for ordinary people to use, in military both are been adequately used as their tool. I was puzzled to this situation where technologies are improved more in military use.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting when we talked about the Apollo 8 mission. I know a lot about the moon landing and know that NASA sent multiple missions to the moon. However, I did not know many details about any of the missions outside of the Apollo 11 mission. The purpose of the mission was not to take pictures of the Earth, but of the dark side of the moon. The astronauts on this mission took the picture almost by accident, but with the accident they were able to take one of the most influential photographs of the time. It is cool to think that even though the mission had a specific purpose they were able to look at other things and find something amazing and be able to share it with the whole world and have the experience stay with them their whole lives.
ReplyDeleteI also took interest when we discussed the Apollo 8 mission. I knew some prior knowledge about the Earthrise, but I did not know of the social significance the Earth photo had on the general public. It is also shocking that the picture does look like it was taken by accident
DeleteIn talking about the competition between the United States and the USSR during the Cold War, it's really made me think about the current relations between the United States and Russia. While the US and USSR wanted basically nothing to do with each other during the Cold War, it seems we've made quite a bit of progress since then (disregarding the current political scandals). The large amount of competition with the Space Race is in stark contrast to now, where both Russian and American astronauts work together on the International Space Station. I recently read that the Russian astronauts all learn English, while the American astronauts all learn Russian. I think the cooperation between the two sets of astronauts is a significant improvement over what used to be.
ReplyDeleteThinking about Cinerama was really interesting. The thought of having over 9 screens in front of me all playing different images sounds really overwhelming and undesirable. Yet back then people found the overwhelming aspect as the most attractive feature of the technology. I think it is amazing how inventions come and go. Most inventions don't stay, and even if they do stick around they are constantly improved and modified to the point that we can't even recognize them anymore. Human ingenuity is quite amazing talking about films with flight and the Apollo 8 mission really demonstrates how people strive to create and display the best products that an be made.
ReplyDeleteDuring lecture when we learned about the high level of tension that was brought up during The Cold War it was interesting to see how close the world was from nuclear annihilation. We spent the better half of Post-World War II worrying about the eventual communist takeover that never happened. We spent billions of dollars into researching military technology to combat the eventual war between Russia and the United States. Of course this war never happened rather we used other wars to indirectly fight among each other. The huge competition sprouted the space race that pinned both counties to get the first man on the moon. Sadly the United States did not send the first man on the moon, but we are the only country to send a man to the moon! Take that Russia! This competitive attitude we had with Russia mostly ended during the Reagan administration, but now I feel like it has been resurfacing. During the later years of the Obama administration I feel like our relations with Russia have been getting worse and definitely our relations with Russia are on a low point with the Trump administration. I wonder if this competitiveness will resurface and have a second Cold War in my lifetime.
ReplyDeleteIn my perspective, one of the most interesting topics covered this quarter was definitely the relationship between advancements in aerial photography and the space race. The relationship between the United States and the USSR was tense because we were competing to achieve goals before one another, but the interesting thing was that aerial photography included US citizens in on the "competition." What was strange to think about was the fact that the photo that the Apollo8 Mission took of the Earth and Moon was so revolutionary at the time, but now people see photos of the Earth and are not phased at all. The normalization of aerial photography is so contrasting to the previous abnormality those photos once held. Another interesting topic that was discussed in class was Cold War Cosmopolitanism. The overlap between aerial technology and the military really is fascinating because at first, many were wary/doubtful of the relationship between the two. In contrast, now the military is dependent upon the usage of aerial technology and are always creating new innovations. The development and normality of both aerial technology and it's uses within the military have come a long way- from being abnormal to completely normal.
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